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jgchouse

Outdoor space—Furniture dimension help needed

last month

We have a wrap around porch with a fireplace and ”hearth”. We’d like to create a conversational area with either four chairs or two chairs and a sofa (or loveseat) near the fireplace. We also have a large corner where we could possibly add a dining table. However, if the conversational area + dining area makes it too crowded, we won’t do the dining area. The entire porch is covered. Please share dimension/layout suggestions for our space!








Comments (8)

  • last month

    Great view!

    Are you adding a railing around the porch perimeter or leaving the sides open between posts as-is?

    You have the room for seating and dining areas where shown. The dining furniture will block the view of the mountains a bit for those in the seating area.

    If there is no railing, my preference would be good lighting and less furniture that is placed far enough away from the porch edges that no one tips back in a chair or pushes out a chair to get up then accidentally falls off the porch (especially when it‘s darker or you have a group of people).

  • last month

    We will not have a railing!

  • last month

    It’s unfortunate that your fireplace sticks out so far. I don’t think the issue is fitting a dining table as you have space lengthwise. The issue is that you only have 7’ between the edge of your fireplace and that pole/ porch drop off. I don’t see how 4 chairs or a loveseat and chairs can fit and still have space to walk around and for people not to fall off the porch.

  • last month

    You could do something like this and have people walk through the chairs or just have a singular chair? You would need a different shaped table. It’s very tight. Another option would be sofa along back and just one chair on side where we see window. It’s going to be very tight though.

  • last month

    Patio at our former home so unable to provide specific measurements. Dining area was 8x12. Conversation space about the same. Fire-pit was off the patio. We also had a private space where once there had been a hot tub.

  • last month

    You could put a sofa parallel with the fireplace with a chair on either end but you're going to have to keep it to a smaller set in order to be able to walk in front of the fireplace. You usually want about 36" for a walkway. Even a set with less bulk would probably give you 30-32" at best if set in a U shape. I would be more likely to find two nice comfy chairs for in front of the fireplace with a table between them and a dining set with more comfortable chairs that you can pull around the fireplace if needed. Something like this.

    You have a spectacular view!

  • last month

    For safety, I would place the sofa back against the porch posts so it is parallel to the fireplace. I don’t see two chairs fitting into that seating area. You have 7’2-1/2” from hearth edge to post edge. If you use a 36” deep sofa, that leaves you a bit over 3’ to navigate between the sofa and hearth. Less than 3’ if people are navigating around the legs of people seated on the couch. That is a narrow walkway especially if a blazing wood fire is going.

    Since you aren’t using railings, consider skipping a dining table with chairs. The space is tight and if someone sitting in the chairs with their backs to the mountains pushes/tips back their chair they could tumble off the porch.

    Have you considered instead a row of rocking chairs or adirondack chairs facing the mountains in that area? You could have a few small tables for casual drinks and food.

    You said no to railings but a railing with glass panels would not interfere with the view and might safely give you more options.

  • PRO
    29 days ago
    last modified: 28 days ago

    Sofa facing FP which BTW is way too bulky for the space but done now. IMO any drop off needs a railing a friend broke her ankle in 2 places slipping off the edge of a deck 8" high. The sofa will be 3' deep for sure so that gives you 4.5' for walk space not really room for chairs and sofas perpendicular to the FP can only be very short and less than a loveseat if you want walk space .Maybe the sofa facing the FP then chairs in the spces on either end of that area where the FP does not jut into the space. Not nice for converstaion but doable there . The DR area also tight for any seating where people do not fall off the edge .I am surprised those 2 different fuel FP were to code back to back .